


Perchance to Dream

by vivaglam



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: Dreams, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-06
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-28 13:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaglam/pseuds/vivaglam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Lizzie DID get to meet Darcy's parents?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Perchance to Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place immediately after the events of Episode 98 (meaning, after they actually get together that evening, not after the episode aired).

 

_“Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?” – Alfred Lord Tennyson_

 

Whenever Lizzie was in a heightened emotional state, she had a tendency to dream very vivid dreams. It was as if there was too much going on in her head and in her heart to be contained in just the waking world – it had to spill over into her sleep as well.

For the past few weeks, with all the Lydia stuff that had happened, Lizzie had gone to bed panicked and distraught, and her dreams had reflected that (when she was actually able to sleep). Once the website had been taken down, and her energy had shifted to a certain gentleman (wondering where he was, what he was doing, whether he still thought of her the same way), her dreams were wistful and sad, and she would often wake up with a strong feeling of longing. Lizzie often cursed her dreams for making her feel worse than when she went to bed.

Tonight, however, she was anticipating dreams of an entirely different sort. She was smiling as she drifted off to sleep, with her red hair fanned out across his bare chest and the sheets tangled between them. Her subconscious did not disappoint.

 

She was sitting on a bench outside. She recognized her surroundings as the Japanese gardens at Pemberley Digital. When she had been shadowing there, she would sometimes come outside to think and sip her tea. Just now she was reading through her notes for her thesis, basking in the cold San Francisco sunshine. Everything was strangely golden and hazy. 

"Are you Lizzie Bennet?"

Lizzie looked up to see a well-dressed man and woman with friendly, expectant smiles. She had never seen them before, but she thought there was something familiar about the expressiveness of the man's eyebrows and the soft blue of the woman's eyes.

"Yes, I am. Are you... Mr. and Mrs. Darcy?" she asked, standing. She didn't know how she knew, but she did.

"Oh, wonderful!" the woman said happily. She enveloped Lizzie in a warm hug. "We're so pleased to finally meet you."

"Please call us Bill and Anne," the man added, shaking her hand. "We've heard a lot about you from William."

"You have?" 

"Well, we inferred," Anne said, as they sat down on the bench. "William was never one to come right out and talk about his emotions directly. Which is why we were most surprised when we found out that he had confessed his feelings to you in the fall."

Lizzie grimaced as she remembered that day. "You must have heard... I'm so sorry about the horrible things I said to and about your son," she said, burying her face in her hands. 

Anne put a comforting arm around Lizzie's shoulder. "Lizzie, it's okay," she laughed. "We understand. William can sometimes be difficult. And ever since..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down sadly. Lizzie swore everything around them took on a sharp gray tint for a moment. "... Well, it's been especially hard, for him and for the people in his life."

"Which is why we're so happy to see you," Bill continued. "I don't remember the last time I saw my son look so happy," he said proudly, beaming at Lizzie. The garden turned golden and hazy again. "You make him incredibly happy, and that makes  _us_ happy."

"We just wanted to meet you and say thank you," Anne said. "For bringing a smile to his face again."

"I'm kind of scared," Lizzie admitted. "This is really new to me. What if I disappoint him? Or worse, what if I hurt him again? He's already been through so much because of me..."

"You won't," Anne said, giving Lizzie a reassuring hug. "You won't hurt him because you love him, and you won't disappoint him because he loves you. We've been watching this come together since the beginning, and we could tell... even with the misunderstandings you've had, you will be fine. Things had to happen like this in order for you two to learn to love each other the right way."

"I  _do_ love him," Lizzie said thoughtfully. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. It scares me how much I love him."

"We knew you two would find your way," Bill said contentedly, taking his wife's hand in his. "Everything is as it should be."

Cold gusts of wind blew through the garden, and Lizzie shivered. Anne looked at her watch. "I think we have to go," she said worriedly. 

Anne and Bill hugged her tightly. "Tell our children we love them and miss them," Bill said, shouting over the wind, even though his face was right next to Lizzie's. "And we're so happy..."

His voice trailed off as another gust of wind blew, and the roar became too loud. Lizzie shut her eyes, pressing her cheek against the warm wool of their coats...

 

When she opened her eyes again, slowly, everything was still and quiet. The room was glowing with mid-morning sunshine. Lizzie felt a pair of lips press to her forehead.

"Good morning," William murmured, his fingers lightly tracing the length of her bare spine. 

As their passionate kiss drove all dreams out of her mind, Lizzie realized that she hadn't felt this happy waking up in a long time.

 

When she finally stayed at William's home in San Francisco for the first time, one of the first things she noticed was the framed family photo sitting on his shelf. She had never seen his parents before - she knew he kept a photo on his desk at Pemberley, but she was always in front of his desk and never behind it. 

Her eyes went first to the young boy with his arm around the three-year-old girl, and she smiled. Looking next at his parents' faces, she recognized them from her dream, and her eyes widened at the realization...


End file.
